NEW YORK CITY — Jessica Gary, 37, was heartbroken after her beloved dog was stolen right from under her nose in her New York City neighborhood.
Gary's 15-year-old Chihuahua, Fidel, was stolen as she was walking him during off-leash hours on Saturday afternoon at Prospect Park.
Gary said the dog-napper came out of nowhere, "I heard a yelp and as soon as I turned around he was gone."
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Angry and emotional, Gary and friends immediately put up posters offering a $3,000 reward. But, worried Fidel was old and needed his daily medicine, for the next 2 days Gary drove around Brooklyn in a car with a friend trying to find her dog while the story blew up on social media.
One tip led them to an area in Carrol Gardens where, sure enough, they saw a man and a woman walking a very familiar looking dog. It was Fidel.
Gary told WCBS her friend immediately jumped into action, raced out of the car, snatched the dog back from the startled couple, jumped back in the car and took off. Gary said the man started chasing after them on foot and pounded on their vehicle.
"When he couldn't open the car door he began hitting the car with his skateboard," said Gary.
Gary said she went directly to the police and told them about it. Gary said she is not in any trouble, which the NYPD confirmed.
She believes the man and woman she saw walking Fidel probably found him or bought him and that the real canine crook is still out there.